Friday 8th June: Waterbom Park Here We Come.
Today we all woke at about 7.30am packed our backpacks with our sunscreen and beach towels that are provided in our villa and went for breakfast at the Green Garden Restaurant. The boys rode the motorbike there.
After breakfast the boys rode to Waterbom and us girls said we'd meet them there as its a nice stroll up the road and we like our excercise to walk off our big breakfast. On the way I stopped and bought myself and my daughter a hat so we could wear today.
As we neared waterbom I accepted a 15 pecent discount voucher for entry into the park from a guy handing out vouchers and assured him I'd use it today as he does recieve a very small commission.
We arrived at Waterbom Park and I handed hubby the voucher so he could pay the entry and get our top-up wrist band that you use for purchases within the park.
Everytime we go to Bali Waterbom Park is on the 'Must Do' kids list and I must admit we also enjoy the day. My advice to anyone who has never been there go and enjoy a day here as there is something for everyone.
After we entered the park we immediately went to the downstairs locker area to pay for a cabanna to hire for the day. We picked a large cabanna located in the kiddies area. It was near the toilets, which was convenient for us all with the kids.
We strolled through the tropical waterpark to our cabbanna and set up our gear for todays stay. I had to contain hubby to wait for the kids to put sunscreen on before they ventured off to the water slides. So off went hubby and the kids and Mum and I lazed in the Cabanna for a while until they returned. We took turns sitting in the cabanna as we had our bumbags with money and gear with us. Although there are lockers for hire we did not require them as Mum is not really into the slides. She was happy enjoying the ambience of the park and lazing around and she went on the lazy river ride several times.
I went for a swim with the kids and on the lazy river ride. Every other time I have been to waterbom park I have had 'full on' days and ventured on nearly every slide available including the boomerang ride, which I have enjoyed previously. But today I just wanted to kick back and relax and of course make sure the kids enjoyed their day, which was not hard for the kids to do. How could a kid not enjoy waterbom park anyway, as it's such a great day out for them.
Anyways back at the Cabanna we ordered a drink I had an aqua, hubby had an energy drink, mum had a green tea and the kids had a soft drink. The kid's settled in at the kiddies area for a while and hubby lazed back on the big cushions provided in the cabanna. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for so I said 'Come on Mum we are going for a massage'. So we strolled through the park to the front entrance and went to book in for our massage at 'Soul Assylum' which is next to where you pay for entrance into Waterbom.
We got in straight away and chose the full body Balinese massage. We were seated on comfy chairs and both handed a cold towel which was immersed with beautiful fragranced oils. After we'd patted down our faces we were escorted to the entrance of the massage parlour. Before we went upstairs our shoes were taken from our feet and put into a little drawstring bag.
We walked up the small flight of stairs and entered the serene ambience of the room where we were both about to recieve our massage. The room was dark with candles lit up throughout the room. There was rainforest sound effects being played with bird calls and running water, rain and thunder. We tried on the disposable paper undies to no avail. I really dont know how skinny you would need to be to fit into these pants as I am not big, but there is no way they would fit us haha so I said I would be fine in my bikini bottom, as did mum.
I had my feet washed and dried and then the massuer worked her magic on the back areas of my legs back and shoulders with oils while my head was sticking in the hole of the table where I breathed in the beautiful smelling oils that were slowly burning beneath the massage table. I could have easily fallen asleep it was just so relaxing and the rainforest sounds fitted the scene to a tee. Then she worked all my front muscles and after an hour I was so relaxed, it was absolute bliss! We then were escorted back down the stairs and presented with our beaded thongs. We paid 120,000 rupiah each and it was worth every rupiah.
We made our way back through the grounds of Waterbom to meet up with the kids and hubby. Hubby was still lazing in the cabanna and had just ordered a Nasi Goreng. My daughter had met a girl from Switzerland and she was a year older then her. The girl could not speak any English and my daughter can not speak Sweedish but you would never have known. They got on well together and enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the day, which was great as she had someone to go on all the rides with her. My son was in the kiddies pool splashing about and shooting everyone that walked past him in the pool with the large water pistols. Mum and I ordered a Nasi Goreng each and a Bali Moon cocktail and got the kids some fish and chips in a cup. I always have Nasi Goreng at Waterbom and it is yummy.
After we devoured our lunch we had another cocktail then went for a dip in the pool and floated around on the lazy river ride once again. We just kept going round and round and hubby and son joined in and the son was wanting to race us around the lazy pool, of course I let him win. What's a lazy pool if you have to turn it into a race. Oh my this holiday life is hard isn't it hehehe.
We went back to our cabanna. My son played with some boys in the kiddies pool waiting over and over again to get drenched by the enormous bucket that fills with water and dumps its load on top of them. Hubby and I took turns checking up on the daughter who was having a ball with her new found Sweedish friend. Son enjoyed a soft serve icecream with strawberry topping and sprinkles and we enjoyed yet another scrumtious Bali Moon cocktail.
It was about 4.30pm that we started to pack up. We grabbed the kids an icecream each, returned our cabanna key, cashed in our wrist-bands and bid farewell to Waterbom Park till next time when we return to Bali.
Hubby, Mum and son jumped on the motorbike and daughter and I started to walk back down the street. We waited across the road from Green Garden Restaurant to get a ride back on the motorbike too. Got back to villa had a Bintang and a scotch and showered and dressed for dinner.
Tonight we all went to Bubba Gumps, this was our first visit to Bubba Gumps Restaurant located in Tuban. Had heard reports here on the forum and we thought that the kids would enjoy it. Hubby and son drove there on the motorbike and us girls walked. I like to walk as much as I can in Bali, as at home I have no choice but to drive everywhere to shops and everywhere else I need to go.
The kids got a large activity sheet and crayons to amuse themselves and we ordered one drink for them to share with straws as the cup sizes were gigantic. The kids once again ordered fish and chips and we ordered the stuffed garlic shrimp dish which came with a large stick of garlic bread on each plate. Some one was celebrating their birthday so we got to watch the staff singing and entertaining them. Also enjoyed watching a few card tricks from one of the waiters. The theme was something different thats for sure hehehe and very Americanized I would say. All in all an enjoyable dinner was had by all. After the bill was paid hubby asked if Mum and I would like to go out by ourselves and enjoy some drinks and we happilly excepted the offer. I bought a Bubba Gumps Cocktail shaker from the merchandise shop and sent it home with hubby and the kids who had planned to watch DVD's tonight.
Mum and I walked out the front of Bubba Gumps and got the obligatory photo on Forest Gumps seat, then we caught a Taxi to the Expresso Bar in Legian. My mum is an ex Hotel Manager and can handle a bit of night life and a few drinks, so to the exspresso bar we went. The exspress o bar is a favourit bar of mine with live bands. It was still quite early for Bali standards and we had 2 drinks here and listened to the band. There was a middle aged aussie guy there who got up and sang a song and he was really quite talented he accompanied his song with his harmonica and was an entertaining character. We didnt stay there too long and ventured across the road to Paddy's.
At Paddy's I asked mum what she would like to drink they had a special, if you buy 1 cocktail you get 1 for free so we ordered the Midori Splice. I couldnt wait to see the look on mum's face when they handed her the cocktail, as I knew how big they were but she had no idea. Well the look on her face when the waiter hander her the Midori Splice was priceless. It was in a large plastic tupperware tumbler which must have been 30cm tall and 10cm wide. We got ourselves a table and she took a picture of the gigantic cocktail. I showed her what a jam jar was and she was in awe hehehe. After finally finishing our cocktail we left Paddy's as the music playing wasn't exactly Mum's scene and I asked her where she would like to go next..she chose Gracie Kelly's as we enjoyed our night there earlier in the week, so jumped in a taxi to destination...Gracie Kelly's.
Arrived at Gracie Kelly's and I was greeted by my old friends, the band and staff. We always go to Gracie's each visit to Bali as we are somewhat Tubanites now. I had an Arack attack. Mum vowed never to try that drink again as she had a cocktail earlier in the week which had arack in it, she had never tried arak before and said she would not drink that stuff again because it's too strong. So mum stuck to Bourbon and coke and I was getting very merry by this stage. After band finished I caught up with a couple of the guys and told them we were heading to the expresso bar, after confirming with mum she agreed to accompany me and said ok as I stressed to her it was nearing the end of the holiday. She chuckled and said 'well what the hell ok then, as we were having a great time and she didnt mind the expresso bar. Got a lift with our friends on their motorbikes and all headed to expresso bar.
Well we all partied on and danced our socks off till the band finished and arrived back at the villa at nearly 4am.
Next Installment JBR Part 7: Today friend is picking us up and we go to Denpasar and Seminyak.